Back from the Game - Southampton

[rg6royal]

Dissapointed with the performance but overall think that the draw was a fair result. Shunt was summed up when he put that " cross " into the stands.

[rg6royal]

I think it's clear that Matejovsky isn't a centre midfielder and his only position where he is good in is just behind the striker. We don't play that system so....

[winchester_royal]

Dissapointed with the performance but overall think that the draw was a fair result. Shunt was summed up when he put that " cross " into the stands.

LOL. Was it a cross or shot? If a cross then why hit it so hard, if a shot.....well LOL.

[bishbosh92]

We were very average today i thought, first half was very boring with not much happening.

Second half we came out and played alot better but were caught on the break for the saints goal, thought marek and Bryn were both poor today and hope to see Harps and Cisse back in Centre mid for Watford!

Kebe caused the Saints defence problems but unfortuntley had no end product, well done to Long today who worker hard and deserved his goal.

[mg1976royal]

Dissapointed with the performance but overall think that the draw was a fair result. Shunt was summed up when he put that " cross " into the stands.

LOL. Was it a cross or shot? If a cross then why hit it so hard, if a shot.....well LOL.

Didn't realise the ball stayed in the ground. Got the saints fans singing 'are you watching Everton'

[winchester_royal]

Dissapointed with the performance but overall think that the draw was a fair result. Shunt was summed up when he put that " cross " into the stands.

LOL. Was it a cross or shot? If a cross then why hit it so hard, if a shot.....well LOL.

Didn't realise the ball stayed in the ground. Got the saints fans singing 'are you watching Everton'

That was us m8.

[Basingstoke Royal]

Not a great game, but did ok, and with the chances we had probably should have won it.

Doobs missed a sitter, as did S Hunt and Kebe. Doyle hit the bar and could have had a penalty.

No one in blue and white had a great game today though.

Coppell got the team all wrong from the off. We need more pace at the back, and Bikey should have replaced either Doobs or Ivar. Central midfield didnt work, and how Shane Long gets in the team ahead of Noel Hunt and plays the full 90 minutes I will never know. He is only good when he comes on with 15mins left.

S Hunt has been consistently bad, and cost us a goal by being too selfish and shooting - which ended up going for a throw.

Glad to get this fixture out of the way though because Saints are becoming a bit if a bogey team for us!

[tomrfcurz]

Yeh gotta admit most fans around us were load on row X but low down was dreadful

[rg6royal]

I decided to sit by the disabled bit!

[handbags_harris]

Game of two halves really. Saints on top first half, we grew stronger in the 2nd and even before they scored we were starting to look like the only team likely to score as Saints failed to really pressurise our goal.

Fed was solid, as he has been the last 2 games. Defence was pretty solid considering the almost complete lack of protection they were receiving from the midfield, although Ingi in particular looked flustered and shaky at times. As for his backpass, well that was just embarrassing. Mightily disappointed with Marek "every pass will be a killer" Matejovsky. The only team he looked like killing today was us! Woeful!! In his defence I believe that for a player to start firing on all cylinders they need 7 or 8 starts before we see what a player is really capable of, and I reserve that judgement with Shane Long who also has only started, what, 4 games consecutively? Incidentally, I thought Long was great in the 2nd half, won almost everything in the air, for once had a decent touch and was always prepared to run at defenders. Well worth the 90 minutes, deserved his goal, and IMO has done enough to warrant a start in the next league match. Jimmy Kebe was, once again, an enigma. He always makes me move to the edge of my seat whenever he gets the ball but he soooo often fails to deliver and today was no different. And Stephen Hunt can just f*ck off.

[Ian Royal]

Not a great game, but did ok, and with the chances we had probably should have won it.

Doobs missed a sitter, as did S Hunt and Kebe. Doyle hit the bar and could have had a penalty.

No one in blue and white had a great game today though.

Coppell got the team all wrong from the off. We need more pace at the back, and Bikey should have replaced either Doobs or Ivar. Central midfield didnt work, and how Shane Long gets in the team ahead of Noel Hunt and plays the full 90 minutes I will never know. He is only good when he comes on with 15mins left.

S Hunt has been consistently bad, and cost us a goal by being too selfish and shooting - which ended up going for a throw.

Glad to get this fixture out of the way though because Saints are becoming a bit if a bogey team for us!

He did score you know.

[Dirk Gently]

A lousy game for the first 70-odd minutes. - when the club next sell half-season tickets, can I please have one for the second halves only, as they're the only ones worth watching.

Marek was horribly lightweight in midfield - so nice passes, eyes, and used his skills to make space well, but hardly won a tackle so had hard;y any of the ball to use.

Some really, really, sloppy and careless passing by virtually everyone, and at least two or three good half-chances that were snatched at and hopelessly wasted. One of SHunt's was frankly, embarrassing - when volleying from 5 yards out it's not a good sign if the ball goes out for a throw-in, nearer to the half-way line than the corner flag!!!! Others weren't as bad but were equally wasted.

Better in the second half but were did virtually nothing to impose ourselves on the game until we went behind - we were sloppy and second-best until then. So we allowed ourselves to be dragged down to Saints' level.

[rg6royal]

I'd think the run of recent games has taken its toll on the players and they now have a deserved rest with the cup game next week.

[Dirk Gently]

I'd think the run of recent games has taken its toll on the players and they now have a deserved rest with the cup game next week.

If so, why didn't it take its toll on the Southampton players?

[SHORT AND CURLY]

Very poor game. Long was my MOM.
Everybody else was at least carp with special mentions to Hunt and Marek who were dreadful!

Shite game and atmosphere although a big up to the saints fans after the game in the boozer after who were an excellent bunch.

Dont know about the stewards, but we were warned a couple of times by the zealous old bill for standing when there frigging fans to our left had licence to stand all game!

[rg6royal]

I'd think the run of recent games has taken its toll on the players and they now have a deserved rest with the cup game next week.

If so, why didn't it take its toll on the Southampton players?

It did.

[Dan - B15 Royal]

Am i the only one who thought Harper should of munched their midfielder in the middle of the park leading to their goal, just before he played a threw ball to the goalscorer? Having just come on as a sub it seemed to me a good idea for Harper to take a card for the team and give away a freekick on the halfway line. Its not attractive football i admit, but it would of got the defence organised and prevented their goal. There again this is Harper and he does hardly ever tackle so i guess i was expecting alot!

[rabidbee]

On the subject of Kébé, somebody needs to tell him that no matter how often you just run at a defender, they will not step out of your way to let through, nor will they disappear, nor will they magically prove to have been holograms all along. It's pointless skinning three or four guys in midfield and then just running straight at the last man. As has ben said above, he makes way too many poor choices, and his final ball is sloppy. Late in the game, he beat his man (partly with the help of a lucky slip) ran into the box, and only needed to lay off a simple ball to an unmarked Doyle to his left. Instead, he took another touh, enabled a defender to close down the space, and then played a weak ball which dribbled to the foot of a defender - Doyler was pretty pissed off.

As for Shunt, he is still trying to do all of the right thigs - still getting into the right position, still making the crosses - but it's just not coming off for him, and he's getting really frustrated.A couple of week break might help him to just chill out a bit. He and Rosenior are always in such a rush; as a general rule, I'm in faour of keeping the tempo high, but in the last few games we've been simply sloppy, often as a result of rushing things too much. Better sometimes to take the time to make sure that we actually keep hold of the ball.

I would tell Henry and Convey that they will have 90 minutes each next week, and a good match would earn both of them starts against Watford.

[royalguy]

Bit disapointed but ultimately relieved to at least come away with a point. Not a Shane fan but thought he played well today. Fed looked solid. Same feelings as everyone else about Kebe and have to agree about Hunt. Some of his play was utterly woeful today.

[Dirk Gently]

.......As for Shunt, he is still trying to do all of the right thigs - still getting into the right position, still making the crosses - but it's just not coming off for him, and he's getting really frustrated.A couple of week break might help him to just chill out a bit. ......

Trouble is, a couple of weeks break for SHunt at the start of January will be completely mis-interpreted by all, and the inevitable "Shunt must be leaving" threads would go into meltdown.

On the subject of Rosenior, is it just me who's noticed that he will always, always, play the obvious ball out to Kebe - even if Kebe has no space and is being marked by two men?

Try a little variety, Liam, and do something different for once!